Breaking News

Suspect is Travis Richardson of Abilene

No one injured in shooting despite 14 rounds being fired

UPDATE: The suspect turned himself in Thursday afternoon shortly after the news release hit social media

Police officers were dispatched to a reported shooting at the intersection of South B and Day streets in Herington, on Wednesday, July 6. The suspect has been identified as Travis Richardson of Abilene, he is a 26-year-old male that is approximately 5’9” tall, weighs approximately 140-150 pounds, and has short dark hair with short facial hair. 

Richardson confronted another subject who was walking at the South B and Day streets intersection following a confrontation at a nearby residence. Richardson produced a semi-automatic pistol and fired 14 times at the victim before fleeing the scene, Richardson has not been located at this time. 

No one was hurt as a result of the shooting, although some personal property was damaged by the rounds fired in the area. He is believed to be in the vehicle that he was driving at the time of the shooting which is described as a dark blue in color 2006 Cadillac STS bearing Kansas license plate 514LFG. The vehicle also has larger aftermarket chrome wheels. Anyone who believes they have seen the vehicle or Richardson is asked to call 911 and not to approach him as he is considered armed and dangerous and could pose a danger to the public. 

The investigation is still ongoing, and the Herington Police Department requests people contact them if they have information, which may be helpful to the case or the suspect’s whereabouts.

Dickinson County Sheriff, Chapman, Herington, Abilene

Dickinson County 

April 18 to May 2

Accidents

April 21, 8:10 a.m., 2200 Avenue and Jeep Road, Lloyd Guss Bishop, Patricia Michelle Grant

April 22, 9:15 pm., 3300 Camp Rd., Diedre Michelle Stout

April 19, 6:18 a.m., 2400 Jeep Rd., Jacob Herman Andres

April 23, 12:45 p.m., Fifth and Factory streets, Benjamin Miles Love, Nichole Nagel, Timothy Morgan Nelson, Quentin Douglas Stuchlik

April 18, 9:57 p.,m., 283 Interstate 70, Pavo Berresford, Madison Rae Fankhauser

April 23, 1:11 .m., 3600 Hawk Rd., Paul Wayne Slaght

April 20, 9:05 a.m., 400 Bluff St., Caleb Joseph Westendorf

Arrests

April 28, 8:25 a.m., 109 E. First St., Rayfel Lee Dolford, Jr., burglary; criminal damage to property

April 25, 12:05 a.m., 278 Interstate 70, Issac Plascencia, driving while license cancelled, suspended or revoked

April 21, 10:58 p.m., 2600 Solomon Rd., Clayton Leo Smith Jr., failure to appear

April 22, 3:03 a.m., 285 Interstate 70, Andrew David Mitchell, possession of hallucinogenic drug; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia

April 20, 10:30 p.m., 214 Cottage Ave., John Wesley Brake, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia

April 20, 10:30 a.m., 214 Cottage Ave., Courtney Nicole Rogers, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia

April 18, 1:27 p.m., 105 E. Sixth St., Brian Lee Coffman, battery

April 20, 12:24 p.m., 214 Cottage Ave., John Wesley Brake, failure to appear

April 19, 10 a.m., Cody Taylor Dodge, 109 E. First St., probation violation

Reports

April 20, 9:07 a.m., 214 Cottage Ave., drug investigation

April 18, 12:43 p.m., 105 E. Sixth St., battery

April 19, 11:07 p.m., 323 Interstate 70, drug investigation

April 25, 9:03 a.m., 109 E. First St., drug investigation

April 22, 5:31 p.m., 285 Interstate 70, drug investigation

April 26, 1:52 p.m., 402 E. Third Ave., aggravated assault

Abilene Police

Reports

April 26, 8:33 a.m., 1511 N. Olive St., theft

April 23, 12:36 p.m., 1993 Caramel Blvd., damage to property

April 21, 1:36 p.m., 1410 Country Club Lane suspicious activity

April 26, 9:38 p.m., NW 10th St. and Spruceway, traffic complaint/investigation

Arrests

April 26, 9:38 p.m., NW 10th St. and Spruceway, possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; vehicle, unlawful act e.g., registration

April 25, 9:34 p.m., N. Buckeye and westbound Interstate 70, Christopher Michael Dansro, theft; failure to appear X2

April 24, 1:10a.m., NW Seventh St. and N. Buckeye Ave., Linda Elaine Diehl, driving under the influence

April 24, 12:02 a.m., SE Second St. and S. Buckeye Ave., Heath Gregory Johnson, driving under the influence

April 21, 11:25 p.m., 109 E. First St., Clayton Leo Smith, Jr., theft.

Chapman

April 25 to May 1

April 25

Outside agency assist

Traffic stop, 2600 block of N Marshall

 April 26

Disorderly subject, 200 block of East Fifth

Dog at large, 700 block of Broadway

April 27

Speak with officer, 500 block of Hilltop

EMS assist, 600 block of N Marshall

April 28  

Speak to officer, Police Department

Missing dog, 600 block N Marshall

Traffic stop, Fourth and Anderson streets

Suspicious person, Fourth and Logan

April 29

Parking complaint, 300 block of W 5^th

 April 30

Traffic stop, 700 block of N Marshall

Traffic stop, 900 block of, N Marshall

Speak to officer, Police Department

Vehicle lockout, 200 block of S Marshall

EMS assist, 500 block of Broadway

Traffic stop, Irish and Marshall

Traffic stop, 400 block of N Marshall

May 1

Motorist assist, 1000 block of Marshall

Traffic stop, 700 block of N Marshall

Herington

April 20 – May 3

Accidents

 April 22, 2:15 p.m. at 11 W Trapp St. Sarita Tiede, hit and run

April 26, 9:45 at 9 S Broadway.  Carol Idleman and Patricia Lawrence

April 29, 6:27 p.m. at 712 W Walnut St. Amanda Miller

Reports

April 21, 7:25 p.m. at 212 N 1st St., theft

April 22, 10:04 p.m. at 319 S Broadway, court order violation

April 26, 12:47 p.m. at 421 S C St.,  harassment

April 27, 11:26 a.m. at 15 W Main St., trespass notice 

April 28, 12:04 p.m. at 2 E Ash St., theft

April 29, 7:51 p.m. at 200 N 8th St., damage to property

May 1, 1:32 a.m. at 1420 W Walnut, trespass notice

Arrests

None to report.

Applauds Bipartisan Efforts to Provide Relief to Kansans by Completely Eliminating the State Sales Tax on Food

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced she will provide much-needed financial relief for Kansans across the state by signing the bipartisan bill that will “Axe the Food Tax,” completely eliminate the state tax on food by 2025.

“Make no mistake — today’s action is a win for every single Kansan,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Eliminating the state tax on food will provide financial relief to everyone, and this bill is a good first step. However, prices continue to rise for essential necessities like groceries. We must provide financial relief swiftly – and I call on the Legislature to move the implementation date up to July 1, 2022. We owe it to Kansans to get this done and get it done immediately.”

Kansans pay the second highest state sales tax on groceries at 6.5% driving some families along our border communities to other states for savings. Signing this bill means local grocers and other businesses will begin to see increased revenues by keeping Kansas dollars in Kansas.

House Bill 2106 will take effect January 1, 2023, reducing the state sales tax on groceries from 6.5% to 4.0%. On January 1, 2024, the rate will reduce to 2.0%, and the state sales tax on groceries will be completely eliminated beginning January 1, 2025.

By Andrew Pankratz

Dickinson County Historical Society

The Dickinson County Historical Society will hold a concert starring the Kansas All Star Big Band Friday, May 13. 

Made up of the top jazz musicians of Kansas, the band will play the big-band hits of Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Thad Jones, Count Basie, and many more. There will also be a dance floor so that people can get up and dance along with their favorite tunes. Of the 18 band members, one of them grew up in Abilene and still has close ties here. 

Mark Robinson, trombonist in the Kansas All Star Big Band, was born and raised in Abilene. When he was four years old Robinson began learning how to play a cornet but switched to the trombone upon entering the fifth grade. The decision to switch to the trombone was made by his father, Bill Robinson, who also played the trombone and decided that it would be easier to teach him an instrument that he already knew well. Despite his father making the decision to switch instruments for him, Robinson was fine with the change and continues to play the trombone to this day. Today, he has to know how to play every instrument in the band due to his role as a band teacher. 

Upon entering the fifth grade at McKinley Grade School in Abilene, Robinson joined the band. While he was in sixth grade the band teacher started a Dixie Land group, which he joined. Once or twice a week the students practiced at the high school, which he said they thought was a pretty big deal.

The Dixie Land group played at Old Abilene Town and at the swimming pool during the water carnival in the 1960s. One of his memories of the Dixie Land group was that they performed before they had electric keyboards available and the band director had to load a piano in the back of his truck. When the group arrived at their destination, the band director backed his truck up to where the group was going to perform so that the pianist could sit in the bed to play the piano. 

Over time, the Dixie Land group morphed into a group called the Night Owls. The Night Owls performed all around Abilene, including in a place called the Gas Light Club at the Trails End Hotel in 1969 and 1970. They played the Gas Light Club once a month and would pass a hat around for tips. If each band member made $7 or $8, they thought it was a pretty good night. Many of their songs from that period were by Herb Albert, who was quite popular at that time. 

After graduating from Abilene High School, Robinson went to Fort Hays University, though he ended up quitting school for a while before finishing his college degree. Also, during this time, he played with a rock group out of Manhattan, known as Albatross. Following his departure from college, he went to work for Cessna in Hutchinson, but he eventually decided that it would be better to finish his college degree after experiencing repeated layoffs. In 1987, he completed his degree in music education at Bethel College in Newton. 

With his degree completed, Robinson taught in the Catholic School system in Hutchinson for 23 years and then for four years in Nickerson. For the past seven years he has taught band in the Burrton Schools. When COVID-19 entered the picture, band members had to put covers over their instrument bells and puppy pads on the floor for the brass players to empty their spit on. Rather than purchasing the expensive bell covers, Robinson used women’s nylon stockings. After each rehearsal, he had to spray every chair down. Fortunately, things have come back to more normal now. Currently, Mark has six students in fifth grade, 16 in middle school, and 18 in high school. 

The one constant through the years is the Abilene City Band. Robinson joined the Abilene City Band after his seventh-grade year, which he believes probably makes him one of the youngest members. Robinson said the Abilene City Band has formed many of his favorite memories between the performances and friends made. His father, Bill Robinson, is likely the longest serving member of the Abilene City Band. Bill Robinson, who is still active in the city band, played with the Abilene City Band in Dwight Eisenhower’s inaugural parade in 1952.

Robinson, Anthony Panek, and Doug Kaufman came together several years ago and purchased the music and supplies from the collection of the late Sherman Gunn of Hutchinson. Gunn was one of the top trumpet players and led a big band in Las Vegas. He had a large music library and everything one would need to have a big band. 

Panek then bought out Kaufman’s and Robinson’s shares as well. With all of this music and equipment, Panek decided that he should start a big band and commenced recruiting the top players in the state. While 90% of the band members are band directors, others are businessmen and even college students. 

The Kansas All Star Big Band has four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes, three to four rhythm players, and the bandleader. While the band plays jazz music from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, they also play more music like Buddy Ritch, though they do not have anything written in the past 10 or 15 years. They generally meet once to rehearse before one of their concerts, but each player is expected to know their parts and has practiced extensively before this rehearsal. “When you get to sit and play beside some of the very best musicians in Kansas then that ups it, you know the quality and fun quite a bit,” Robinson said.

Know before you go

Date: Friday, May 13

Time: Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7 p.m.

Place: Dickinson County Historical Society, 412 S Campbell St, Abilene

Cost: $10, children 5 and younger are free

Get tickets at: Solomon State Bank in Abilene or in Solomon, Dickinson County Bank in Enterprise, First National Bank of Hope in Hope or Herington, Astra Bank in Chapman, or the Heritage Center.

The Dickinson County Sheriff’s office is investigating the shooting death of 27-year-old Samantha E. Baum, of Topeka.

According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, officers responded to the Dollar General Store in Solomon at about 9 p.m. Sunday, April 10 for a report of a person who had sustained a gunshot wound.  The investigation revealed Baum sustained a single gunshot wound while driving westbound on Interstate 70 near Solomon. 

She was transported by Dickinson County Emergency Medical Service to Salina Regional Health Center where she succumbed to her injuries. 

As a result of the investigation, Eric S. Wymore, 48, of Beulah, Colorado was arrested for involuntary manslaughter and booked into the Dickinson County Detention Center where he was held without bond pending first appearance. 

This investigation remains active.  No further information will be released at this time.